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Fantasy Baseball: Time to sell high on these players

By Justin Buckhanan

OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 23: Joey Gallo #13 of the Texas Rangersbats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on April 23, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 23: Joey Gallo #13 of the Texas Rangersbats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on April 23, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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There are some breakout players you can believe in and there are some who best to trade before reality sets in. Here are players you should consider dealing.

As noted last week, there are players who get off to slow starts who you just need to wait out a little before they get back on track. Then there are those players who get off to unusually hot starts and you think this is going to be the beginning of something really big. Occasionally players have outlier seasons and you want to ride that for all its worth.

More often, players have a hot streak of 40 or 50 games and then return to what they normally are. Here’s a look at those guys. You probably got the best of them. Trade them now and let somebody else get the worst of them.

American League

1. Joey Gallo INF/OF Texas: After a pair seasons hitting under .210 (albeit hitting 40 HR each year), Gallo is now hitting a robust .277 and is on pace for 48 HR. While Gallo seems a lock to hit 40 HR again this season, his 43 percent strikeout rate tells me the swing and miss tendency is still there, making his batting average unsustainable. It’s a matter of time before his batting average starts to regress. While that regression might not be that detrimental in a 5×5 league, it sure is in a standard league.

2. CJ Cron 1B Minnesota: Cron has always had some power, hitting 16 HR for three straight seasons before breaking out with 30 in 2018. He also has already hit 12 HR in the first 46 games this season. With Miguel Sano already back from injury and Nelson Cruz coming back soon, Cron’s playing time will decrease some. Cron is still useful in mixed leagues, but the time is right to sell high to someone who needs power.

3. Dwight Smith OF Baltimore: Smith has gotten off to a surprisingly hot start this season hitting .268, 26 R, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 4 SB. The former Blue Jay prospect has never hit more than 15 HR in the minor leagues and with Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, and DJ Stewart all playing outfield in the Orioles minor league system, one has to wonder if Smith is playing on borrowed time.

4. Tommy La Stella INF Los Angels Angels: I feel like I am cheating here with this one. La Stella had 10 career HR in 949 at bats coming into this season. So far in 2019, he has a astounding 11 HR in 122 AB. I’m not going to scream steroids or HGH, but there’s no way La Stella will keep up this pace. This one here is obvious. That’s why I said I feel like I’m cheating here.

5. Martin Perez P Minnesota: Perez has gotten off to a excellent start with 6 W, 2.89 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 53 K. His average for the past three seasons is 8 W, 4.89 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 90 K. While his current 1.26 WHIP is good, it’s hardly dominant, which tells me more baserunners are soon to come. Someone in your league has to need starting pitching, be the one to give them Perez knowing that his regression is coming.